ICESat-2 Meltwater Depth Estimates

Application to Surface Melt on Amery Ice Shelf, East Antarctica

Journal article (2021)

Authors

Helen Amanda Fricker University of California
Philipp Arndt University of California
Kelly M. Brunt NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, University of Maryland
R. T. Datta University of Maryland, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Zachary Fair University of Michigan
Michael F. Jasinski NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Jonathan Kingslake Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
Lori A. Magruder The University of Texas at Austin
B. Wouters Physical and Space Geodesy - CEG , Universiteit Utrecht
More Authors... External organisation
Research Group
Physical and Space Geodesy (CEG) (TU Delft)
Copyright: © 2021 Helen Amanda Fricker, Philipp Arndt, Kelly M. Brunt, Rajashree Tri Datta, Zachary Fair, Michael F. Jasinski, Jonathan Kingslake, Lori A. Magruder, B. Wouters, More Authors
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL090550
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Published Date

2021

Language

English

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Faculty

Civil Engineering & Geosciences

Department

Geoscience and Remote Sensing

Research Group

Physical and Space Geodesy

Abstract

Surface melting occurs during summer on the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, but the volume of stored surface meltwater has been difficult to quantify due to a lack of accurate depth estimates. NASA's ICESat-2 laser altimeter brings a new capability: photons penetrate water and are reflected from both the water and the underlying ice; the difference provides a depth estimate. ICESat-2 sampled Amery Ice Shelf on January 2, 2019 and showed double returns from surface depressions, indicating meltwater. For four melt features, we compared depth estimates from eight algorithms: six based on ICESat-2 and two from coincident Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 imagery. All algorithms successfully identified surface water at the same locations. Algorithms based on ICESat-2 produced the most accurate depths; the image-based algorithms underestimated depths (by 30%–70%). This implies that ICESat-2 depths can be used to tune image-based algorithms, moving us closer to quantifying stored meltwater volumes across Antarctica and Greenland.

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- Embargo expired in 28-10-2021
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